Focus on the Best Deals This Holiday Season

It’s the retailers who sneak a little bit of Christmas into the aisles of their stores before October 31.

I’m already seeing “Pre-Black Friday” sales and “Early Cyber Monday” deals. Retailers blame it on a shortened holiday shopping season, but they’ve been pushing the Christmas shopping season earlier and earlier for the past several years. They want you to buy early and often.

This time of year puts me in a bit of a quandary. First of all, I love a good deal. Secondly, I love helping you get a good deal. And this is the season for good deals.

But I also hate that so much emphasis is put on STUFF. So much emphasis is placed on money. And so little emphasis is placed on the reason for the season, the people who matter in our lives, and the memories we wish to make.

I am guessing this is a struggle many of you share, too. How many gifts is enough? How will I afford them? Where can I find the time to celebrate the holidays with my family in a meaningful way?

As we enter this season of great joy and intense commercialism, I want you to remember these things:

You can unsubscribe to e-mails from retailers who are telling you to “Buy! Buy! Buy!”

Instead, I want you to make a list of the people and activities that really matter most and set aside time for them. Focus on the sights and sounds of the holiday season that bring you joy. Focus on the tastes and smells of holiday baking. Focus on the way you want to feel this holiday season.

How much of that list has THINGS on it? How much of that stuff costs money?

My guess is that most of what you put on that list is much more manageable, more affordable, and much more enjoyable than anything you can buy in a store.

There will always be amazing deals on stuff during the holidays. And it’s okay to go after those bargains (within your means). I can even help you find those deals.

But the best deals this holiday season don’t come from a store. The best deal is the time spent on the people and activities you love.

Yes yes yes!! I struggle with this pull between a STUFF Christmas and a CHRIST Christmas. I do shop early, just not often. I will be all done with Christmas shopping in November, and cards will be ordered and addressed before December hits. We decorate the weekend following Thanksgiving and my goal this year is to be completely done with the presents (however minimal they are…) and other “responsibilities” before December, so we can have a relaxing family time. We fund our Christmas budget with the bonus or magic month check in September and don’t buy extravagant gifts. I keep a running list in Evernote of gift ideas and cross things off as I buy or order them. What I want to give my family for Christmas is the story of the birth and memories (driving around town in jammies with travel mugs of our homemade cocoa while listening to Christmas carols is a favorite!) You CAN have a lower stress Christmas, and it’s SO worth it!

Love this post Christina. Luckily my wife and I buy our gifts throughout the year so when December rolls around we can focus on the things that matter. Spending time with family and friends and creating lasting memories. We started doing this a few years ago and it has really been a life-changer.